Zayra Pola from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, is a Salsa singer, drummer and percussionist.  Zayra Pola, named by her friends in Puerto Rico as “La reina del timbal” (the Queen of Timbales), has had the pleasure to share stages with great names of the music world such as: Andy Montañez, Adalberto Santiago, Alex Acuna, Eguie Castrillo, Charlie Sierra, Paoli Mejias, Luisito Marin, Grupo Mania, Giovanni Hidalgo, Tito De Gracia, Jimmy Morales, and many more.  Graduated from Berklee College of Music where she attended with a full scholarship, and had the honor to record for the new album of Bill Whelan. She also was recorded as a part of a music video for Alejandro Sanz’s “La Musica no se Toca”.

Valerie Stephens a native Bostonian has both national and international performance and production credits.  She is an award winning, performing artist with a passion for history. Valerie has received a 2019 Bro. Thomas Fellowship, 2019 Bridge Award in Arts, 2018 Boston City Council Resolution for creating the annual event PRINCESS DAY: Celebrating Little Girls of Color and her commitment to Nina Simone’s legacy,

2017 New England Foundation for the Arts Creative City, the 2016 Get Konnected! Boston Legends & Pioneers Award, the 2011 NAACP Image Award, the 2007 Urban Music Award in Blues and was a nominee for the 2011 Urban Music Award in Jazz as well as Citations of Appreciation from  the Cities of  Boston, New Bedford and Springfield.

Dwayne P. Mitchell, is a Boston based actor and artist. His stage credits include: Choir Boy (SpeakEasy Stage), Fences (The Umbrella Stage Company), Ragtime (Wheelock Family Theatre), La Cage Aux Folles (Reagle Music Theatre), The Frogs, Metamorphoses, and Good Kids (Boston Conservatory at Berklee). Screen credits include: Reed Between the Lines (BET), Reconstruction: America After The Civil War (PBS), and My Parents, My Sister, and Me (NBC). He received a Bachelor of Arts in Music, from the historically black institution, Fisk University; and is a graduate of the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. Dwayne continues to use his platform to advocate for diversity, inclusion, and bridging opportunity gaps for black artists and artists of color in the performing arts. 

Jackson Jirard* (Company) (he/him)is a New Orleans born and Pennsylvania raised, now Bostonian artist and educator. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University, his M.Ed. in Human Development & Psychology from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and has been researching power, responsibility, and emotional well-being in artistic spaces for many years. He’s danced professionally with Ballet Austin in Texas, Sacramento Ballet in California, and Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre. He’s also choreographed for New Repertory Theatre and Columbia Pictures, and performed for several other local companies. Having grown up in Massachusetts, Jackson continues to excitedly re-familiarize himself with the New England scene as Associate Director of Rehearsal for Life’s Urban Improv. He’s also super grateful to Front Porch & Central Square Theater for keeping the dream of Ain’t Misbehavin’ alive!

*Member of Actor’s Equity Association